


The Emma Theories

by rotKaiserin



Series: modern joker [1]
Category: Joker Game (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempt at Humor, Gen, Minor Fukumoto/Odagiri, Minor Hatano/Jitsui, Minor Kaminaga/Miyoshi, kind of sort of Amari/Tazaki (can be read as platonic)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 03:19:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7996687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rotKaiserin/pseuds/rotKaiserin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amari returned from Hawaii with a bag of souvenirs, a dog, and a daughter. Everyone tried to understand <i>how</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Emma Theories

**Author's Note:**

> hello hello~
> 
> I don't have much time to be working on fics at the moment, but my anxiety has been flaring up lately, so I wrote this to help make myself feel better haha  
> It's just a lighthearted thing for fun! ^o^
> 
> tbh with my last fic, I came up with a whole AU and gosh... lol here I am :') This takes place about a year before "Babysitting Woes" ouo and just a minor note, but dialogue in bold italics (" ** _Like this_** ") indicates that English is being spoken.
> 
> This is crossposted on my [tumblr](http://dollofdeath.tumblr.com/post/150188635252/the-emma-theories-11) ^u^ Thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoy~! o/

Amari dropped the bomb on them as gently as he possibly could. In retrospect, he shouldn't have expected any other reaction, but he thought he made a pretty good attempt.

"When the fuck did you get a daughter!?"

"A-Amari, that child is _not_ Japanese!"

"Wow, she's so cute~!"

"You got a dog?"

He stood there with Emma in his arms, Frate at his feet, and a bag of souvenirs in his hand, taking in every comment with a calm smile. Maybe he shouldn't have brought her with him today, but he couldn't think of a better time to introduce Emma to all his friends other than at his welcome back party.

They all had stared at him when he walked into the bar, their eyes fixated on Emma, but he tried not to let them get to him. Miyoshi, Kaminaga, Hatano, and Jitsui had frozen in the middle of their poker game while Sakuma, Tazaki, and Odagiri's conversation had abruptly stopped. Fukumoto had paused in cleaning the bar glasses, his usual stoic expression replaced with surprise.

It was Miyoshi who'd broken the silence with a "Welcome back, Amari. I hope the business trip went well. Who, pray tell, is that you're holding?" said casually, which of course meant it was anything but casual.

Emma had huddled closer to him. Even if she was unfamiliar with the Japanese language, she could still hear the hidden edge underneath Miyoshi’s words. He'd held her tighter and took a breath before introducing her.

"This is Emma." He'd looked at each one of them, their faces giving away no sign of emotion. "She's my daughter," he’d then said after a moment’s hesitation and at once, the room exploded.

He waited and waited until they got all their yelling and shouting out of their systems, trying to soothe Emma to the best of his abilities in the meantime. Once the noise died down, he spoke again.

"During my trip," Amari said, turning to Hatano. "And watch your language, please! She's still learning."

Then to Sakuma, he said "Yes! She's English."

To Kaminaga, "I know right? I'm glad to have such a cute and wonderful daughter."

And finally to Tazaki, "Yeah, his name is Frate." As if in response, Frate barked happily.

They all sat there (well, Fukumoto stood), letting his answers sink in.

"But why!?" Hatano asked.

"I felt like I needed to."

"What kinda answer --"

"Cool it, Hatano," Kaminaga said. "You're scaring her."

And true enough, Emma had buried her face into Amari's shoulder. Seeing this, he stroked her hair.

" **_It's okay! They're just surprised to see you._ ** "

" **_Really?_ ** "

" **_Yeah, they just need some time. But they're very good people. They're Papa's good friends, remember?_ ** "

Slowly, she lifted her head but she didn't look at the others.

"She can't understand Japanese?" Odagiri asked, keeping a neutral mask but the curiosity in his eyes evident.

Amari shook his head.

"Not really. I've taught her some basics, but that's about it so far."

"Does she want anything?" Fukumoto asked. "We have some food and drinks she can have. I'm afraid we have don’t have anything for dogs."

"Ah, Frate is fine but --" He turned to Emma. "-- **_Do you want to eat or drink anything?_** " 

She nodded her head shyly, still refusing to look at anyone else but him. Ignoring the feeling of all the eyes on him, Amari sat her down in front of Fukumoto as everyone watched in silence. 

" ** _I'll introduce you to everyone else when you're done, but this is_** Uncle Fukumoto." Then slowly he told her, "Say hello to Uncle Fukumoto."

"H-Hello, Uncle Fukumoto," she said, with a bit of an accent.

"Hello, Emma," Fukumoto said just as slowly, bending down so he was eye level with her. "Would you like apple juice or milk? We also have crackers."

She blinked at him, her features scrunched up.

"Um..."

" **_We have apple juice and milk, if you'd like. We also have crackers._ ** "

" ** _Oh!_** " And for the first time since they entered, she smiled. " ** _I want apple juice. And crackers, please!_** "

Seeing that she was in good hands, Amari turned back to the others who were staring at him with varying degrees of interest. Miyoshi and Jitsui gazed at him with disapproval, though Miyoshi seemed more disgusted if anything. Hatano was about to burst at any moment, probably to yell about how stupid he was. Sakuma had the face of a man who was very confused, but also very concerned. Odagiri wasn't much different, but he was much less confused than Sakuma. Tazaki -- well, it seemed that Frate made his way over to Tazaki, so he was actually busy entertaining Frate. Kaminaga was the only one who seemed positive about the whole thing, though the grin on his face did nothing to ease his nerves.

"So, guys." Amari held up the bag in his hand. "I brought gifts for you all!"

* * *

Later that day, Hatano and Jitsui sat together in the middle of their living room, various textbooks and notes surrounding them, and Hatano's cat Yoru lying in between them. It was Jitsui's idea for a study session, for the upcoming exams they'd be having, but Hatano never was the studious type.

"Can you believe that guy?" Hatano didn't even bother pretending to be studying at this point. His book laid open on his lap and his notes rested on the table. He grabbed at his bangs, which were currently tied up, and frowned. At his side, Yoru nuzzled up to him, ears pointed straight up.

"Amari doesn't always make the best decisions," Jitsui said, keeping his focus on his notes.

"I know that, but he didn't even give us a proper reason! 'I felt like it.' What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he meant his words literally."

Dropping his hands onto the table with a _thud,_ Hatano sighed. Yoru twitched beside him as he spread his legs out, touching his knee to Jitsui's.

"I at least wanna know how he got her." He huffed. "He kept avoiding it earlier. The dumbass thinks that giving us some freaking bobble head thing is enough to drop the whole thing."

While Hatano ranted, Jitsui tapped his finger against the page he was on. Admittedly, the conversation distracted him from his studies. On a personal level, he didn't care much about Emma. Amari could've adopted fifty kids for all he cared so as long as they kept interaction with him to a minimum. On an intellectual level, however, she was an oddity that needed to be figured out. The words of his notes blurred together and Hatano's voice grew faint as he thought about it. Then, it came to him.

"Seriously, I don't get what's going through his --"

"He must've kidnapped her."

" -- mind -- wait, what!?" Hatano's eyes boggled at the suggestion. "This isn't your edgy shoujo manga, Jitsui!"

He gave Hatano a pointed look but didn't retort at his completely unnecessary comment. No matter how much time they spent together, he had no appreciation for the genre. Life _was_ an edgy shoujo manga, one where everyone harbored some sort of darkness -- just some more than others.

"Amari may be an airhead, but he's an honest man. There's clearly a reason he's not telling us all the details of the situation."

Hatano opened his mouth to argue further, but no words came out. He held that pose for a bit before his eyebrows furrowed, creating deep lines in his forehead, and his lips pursed tightly together. Turning away, he contemplated what Jitsui had said, hands clutching his head. Between them, Yoru's tail waved back and forth as if thinking about it as well. Jitsui took this time to continue studying, but it didn't take long for Hatano to speak again.

"If he really did kidnap her, then why’s he so calm about it?"

"Maybe 'kidnapped' was too strong of a word. Maybe 'spirited away' would be better? You see..."

They discussed the possibility of it well into the night, getting absolutely no studying done whatsoever. In the end, they decided that despite appearances, there were some legal issues going on.

* * *

 

Hatano stared at his phone, his footsteps slowing down. He was done with his classes for the day and Jitsui wouldn't be home until later. And homework? Well, he didn't feel like doing that, so he figured it wouldn't hurt to stop by Kaminaga's studio.

 

-

When Hatano arrived, it was as empty as Kaminaga had said it was. He didn't mean to stay there for long, but he bought enough snacks for the both of them and their small talk took a turn pretty quickly. More specifically, Emma came up and Hatano had to share the theory he and Jitsui came up with just days ago.

"No freaking way," Kaminaga said, taking a bite of his pocky stick.

"It's possible!"

"No _freaking_ way," Kaminaga repeated, exaggerating his words. "You're telling me Amari kidnapped Emma?"

"How the hell else did he end up with her?"

To be fair, Kaminaga couldn't come up with an answer that sounded like an ass pull.

"That's stupid though. Amari's not that kind of guy."

"This is the same guy who caused an entire war back when he was in college because he had too many dates and accidentally went out with the wrong girl."

Another fair point. And also a flashback-inducing one. They both grimaced at the memory.

"Kidnapping though? I don't think he'd go that low."

"He wouldn't even realize he'd gone that low!"

"Nah, man. I just don't buy it." He took a sip of his cola. "I think Jitsui's manga is rubbing off on you."

Hatano clicked his tongue and stuffed a pocky stick in his mouth.

"Whatever, you jackass. I'm telling you though, it makes sense if you think about it."

Kaminaga only quirked an eyebrow at him before changing the topic.

-

It was late at night and by all means, Kaminaga should've been asleep. But he wasn't. Instead he was staring at the ceiling, eyes bleary, and mulling over the validity of Hatano's theory. He wasn't sure how long it'd been, but he remembered Miyoshi putting his art project away, mentioning something about how all this stress wasn’t good for his skin, and going through his night routine, so it must've been a while. He had work tomorrow too, but hell if he was going to sleep now.

"Miyoshi," he said, rolling over to his side. Miyoshi slept on, curled up beside him.

"Miyoshi," he tried again. Miyoshi’s face twitched.

"Miyoshi," he tried one last time. Miyoshi cracked open his eyes.

"...What do you want?" Even though he'd just woken up, the annoyance was clear in his voice.

"Look, I was thinking about something Hatano told me earlier --" Miyoshi glared at him, his sheet mask intensifying it, but he continued on. He'd regret it later. Oh God, he'd regret it later. But he _really_ needed to talk about it with someone. "-- and I thought it was sorta stupid at first, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made.

"Amari's a sweet talker, you know? He can easily lure a little girl with just a few words..." And he talked, explaining all the reasonings he came up with for a good ten minutes until Miyoshi clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Go to sleep."

"I can't” was Kaminaga’s muffled reply.

"Find a way." The tone of Miyoshi’s voice left no room for arguments. He lowered his hand, laying it on Kaminaga’s waist.

"Okay, okay..."

He pulled Miyoshi closer to him, resting his chin on top of his head. Minutes passed, and he felt no more tired than he did an hour ago. He could feel Miyoshi's breathing slow down against his skin -- not awake, but not quite asleep yet.

"...Those are valid points though, right? Like --"

Miyoshi shoved Kaminaga off of him with an exasperated noise. Then he took Kaminaga's pillow from underneath his head and threw it at the door.

"Get out."

"What? Why?"

"You're disrupting my eight hours."

Kaminaga pouted.

"I'll be quiet! I mean it."

"I don't believe you. Now leave, so I can sleep."

"Aw, babe --"

"Out."

They stared at each other, but Kaminaga knew he’d already lost the moment he woke Miyoshi up. He heaved a sigh before collecting his stuff and leaving. The only place he could go was the living room, but pulling out the bed from the sofa was too much work, so he left it as it is. After getting as comfortable as possible, he laid there staring at the ceiling, much like he was before. He could only stare so much though. Picking up his phone, he messaged Hatano.

He put it down, not expecting an answer at this hour. It was only a few seconds before it buzzed.

-

Kaminaga’s alarm woke him up at its usual time. As he got up, his back creaked in pain and he had difficulty keeping his eyes open. He'd gotten three -- maybe four -- hours of sleep, having spent the night discussing the theory with Hatano. He regretted everything. But at the same time, he felt more enlightened.

When he went to the bedroom to get dressed, Miyoshi was already sitting at his vanity, halfway through his morning routine.

"G'morning..." Kaminaga didn't want to be alive right now.

"Good morning. You look like a mess."

The same could be said of Miyoshi, though “mess” wouldn’t be the exact word he’d use. It was the little things, like how his eyes were puffier and his skin seemed paler. Kaminaga didn’t feel like angering Miyoshi twice in less than twelve hours, so he just grunted.

They went about their respective routines in silence. After he finished getting dressed and packing his stuff, Kaminaga approached Miyoshi carefully. Seeing no protest, Kaminaga wrapped his arms around him. He was about to press a kiss on his cheek and tell him goodbye when Miyoshi spoke up.

"I thought about it last night."

Kaminaga squinted at him, trying to understand what he was talking about. Then, despite his tired state, he grinned.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes." Miyoshi put down his makeup brush. "And let me tell you why it's bullshit."

They debated about it for about an hour, which made them both late -- Kaminaga for work and Miyoshi for class. In the end, they decided that regardless of what happened, Emma willingly went with Amari.

* * *

Sakuma and Odagiri took their break at the same time, so they spent it at Fukumoto's bar like they normally did. It was empty at this time of day, but that was just fine -- all the more better for them. They took their seats and Fukumoto handed them their usual drinks.

"How was work so far?" Fukumoto asked, and they talked about their day. There were times where being part of the police force was exciting, but today wasn't one of them. It was especially boring since they weren’t currently working on any cases. One would’ve thought there’d be more crime in a busy city, but apparently not.

The conversation soon died, leaving Sakuma and Odagiri to drink while Fukumoto cleaned the bar. Sakuma had grown accustomed to this though, the silence from the other two being familiar and comfortable.

"Oh, Odagiri." Fukumoto turned to him. "Amari asked if Emma could stay with us on Saturday. He said he won’t be back until later that day."

"I'm off then, so that should be fine."

"Emma, huh?" Sakuma said. It must've been at least two weeks since Amari introduced them to her. "I haven't seen her since Amari came back."

"Amari sometimes asks us to watch her if he has to leave home for work," Fukumoto said. "He's not comfortable leaving her at a daycare until she's fluent in Japanese."

"Ah." Sakuma paused. "How's she like?"

"She was pretty shy at first." Odagiri fiddled his drink with his hands. "But she's very energetic once she opens up."

"She's a sweet girl," Fukumoto added. "Very curious too."

"Hm... that sounds nice. I’m happy for him. I never expected him to be a father, though."

Fukumoto and Odagiri shared a look, probably doing that eye communication thing that Sakuma never quite figured out.

"...What?"

"How do you think they're related?" Fukumoto asked.

Sakuma blinked, not expecting that.

"I thought maybe he'd fathered her from one of his previous relationships or adopted her."

"You actually thought he's her father?" There was a hint of amusement in Odagiri's voice.

Sakuma scratched his head, diverting his eyes elsewhere.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"It's understandable, but Emma is purely English," Fukumoto said, his cleaning now forgotten.

"So she's adopted."

They shared another look before Odagiri answered him.

"Yes and no."

"What? It can only be one or the other."

"Yeah, she's adopted, but it's _weird_ isn't it?"

Sakuma looked at them, considering the question. Of course it was weird. Not a single one of them accepted it without skepticism, though Sakuma didn’t dwell on it for too long. But there was something in the way Odagiri said “weird,” as if “weird” couldn’t even begin to describe the situation.

Thinking back on it, it did seem more suspicious than he originally thought. Amari was only supposed to be in Hawaii for a week, but he extended it to a month. He’d only told them “something came up” and nothing more. He never mentioned any plans on adopting either. Next thing they knew, he showed up with Emma and Frate.

"Yeah, it's pretty... _weird_. Did Amari say anything?"

"He didn't tell us anything," Fukumoto said. "But from what I noticed..."

Sakuma listened intently as Fukumoto spoke, with Odagiri jumping in every now and then to add some details. They spent so long talking about it that people starting filling the bar and Sakuma and Odagiri nearly didn’t make it back to work on time. In the end, they decided that despite their current relationship, something big must have happened in Hawaii.

* * *

"Thanks for today, Tazaki. I really appreciate it."

"Any time, Amari. ...Out of curiosity though, why'd you ask me to come with you guys?"

Amari and Tazaki sat together on a bench at the park, watching as Emma played around with Frate. Earlier, Amari had taken Emma out shopping since he finally found some free time to do so. They’d ran into Tazaki by chance, but Amari invited him to join them. He was hesitant at first, not wanting to intrude on their time, but Amari insisted and so he found himself tagging along. It was an interesting experience, he thought, an experience he was glad to have. Seeing Amari -- one of the people he was closest to -- and Emma -- whom he’d gotten to know better today -- brought about a sight of domesticity that he’d never seen before. She’d only been here for three weeks now, but they were already very close.

"Well, I suppose it was more for myself." Amari sheepishly smiled, his eyes trained on Emma.

"Oh?"

"Just to ease things for me. We spend a lot of time together at home, but I haven't really gotten the chance to take her out. I didn't want do it by myself, I guess." He paused. "Plus, you're good with kids, no?"

"If you say so. Dealing with my nephews is pretty different than dealing with Emma though."

"Fair enough, but I think she really likes you."

"It's probably just the magic tricks."

They laughed and fell into a comfortable silence, the sounds of Emma's laughter and Frate's barking filling the lull.

Like the others, Tazaki had been surprised when Amari returned with Emma, but he accepted the fact more easily than them. While it was true that Amari was a bit of an airhead and his previous lifestyle had no room for kids, Tazaki trusted him. He always tried his best and with Emma around, he tried even harder. If anything, Emma had given Amari a purpose in life, and Tazaki was grateful to see Amari find some stability.

Still, no matter how much faith he had in him, he had questions. Without turning to him, Tazaki asked:

"So she's definitely not yours?"

Amari made no move to look at him either, the both of them focused on what was in front of them.

"Definitely not. I just adopted her."

"Then why?" And unlike the others who'd asked him, Tazaki asked it gently and patiently. He didn't expect much of an answer anyways.

Amari didn't respond immediately.

"It's complicated," he said at last. "But just know that I did this because _I_ wanted to."

And that was the most Tazaki heard about the whole situation. A part of him wanted to press on, to learn all the details about what happened, but he knew that wouldn’t get him anywhere. Amari would open up at his own time, if ever. As they lapsed into another silence, he figured it wasn't a huge deal. It wasn't what happened in the past that mattered, but what happened now that did. Tazaki looked over to Amari to see him with a genuine smile and pride in his eyes.

"You're happier, though." A statement, not a question.

Amari turned to Tazaki, his smile growing into a grin.

"You could say that."

Their alone time was interrupted as Emma ran over to them, asking them to play with her. There was no way they could deny her and so they spent the rest of the day playing with her, just the three of them and Frate together. In the end, Tazaki decided that Amari and Emma got along well together and that was for the better.

* * *

A month after Emma had come into their lives, they all had their regular get-together at Fukumoto's bar, though everyone but Amari came earlier than usual. It started off normally with Kaminaga and Hatano arguing about something, Miyoshi butting in to screw with both of them, Jitsui being a not-so-helpful mediator, Tazaki being the _actual_ mediator, Sakuma trying to follow along (and failing), and Odagiri and Fukumoto watching in silence. Somewhere along the line, they all situated themselves in an oval of sorts around the bar table, as if they were at a conference meeting. They hadn't intended to, not really, but as they all looked at each other, they knew what they had to talk about.

"So," Kaminaga began. "Any thoughts about her?"

The "her" in question was clearly understood.

"I like her," Sakuma said, though he had little personal time with her. "She seems to be well behaved and very sweet."

"She's a good girl," Fukumoto said.

Odagiri nodded his head in agreement.

"Sure, but Amari won't shut the fuck up about her," Hatano argued, a scowl on his face. "Like 99% of his messages in the group chat are about her now!"

"I think it's cute," said Kaminaga. "I've never seen him so devoted to someone. Plus, it's so nice when he sends pictures of her! It really makes my day."

"Keep saying stuff like that and people will think you're a pedophile." Miyoshi crossed his arms. "But she's an annoyance. Just another brat to deal with."

"Ah, but you were rather civil towards her when Amari first brought her here, weren't you, Miyoshi? One might even say 'nice,'" Jitsui said.

Miyoshi frowned, but didn't deny it.

"She's better than most, I'll admit."

Jitsui hummed.

"I'll agree with you there. I still don't think she's a good idea, but Amari's been handling her pretty well."

They all nodded at that.

"Hey," Sakuma said, voice lower as if talking about a taboo. "Did anyone ever figure out where she came from?"

Everyone looked at each other, no words spoken until Hatano slammed his hand on the table.

"He kidnapped her!"

"What!?"

"What he means is 'spirited away,'" Jitsui said, though Sakuma looked no less scandalized.

"That's ridiculous," Miyoshi said. "It's obvious she wants to be with him."

"The whole situation doesn’t make sense though," said Odagiri. "He never had plans to adopt."

"Who's to say there's no blood relation?" Kaminaga countered.

"They're not."

All eyes turned to Tazaki.

"Blood related, I mean. Amari told me." And seeing all the mouths begin to open, he quickly added, "That's all he told me."

Everyone else slumped in defeat.

"So what we know is that Amari went off on a business trip," Jitsui started.

"He was only supposed to be there for a week but ended up staying a month," Fukumoto continued, nodding.

"Right, and he didn't really give us any details on what happened," added Sakuma.

"And sometime during that month, he adopted Emma," concluded Miyoshi.

They all sat there, taking in what bare evidence they had. It was an incredible jump, going from lady killer businessman to doting father, but Amari had done it. None of the pieces fit together properly and no matter how many angles they looked at it, they couldn’t find a reasonable answer. Amari often acted on a whim, but even this was rather extreme. There had to be a good reason he did it, and an even better reason to be so secretive about it.

Hatano banged his head on the table.

"Fuck Amari."

"What did I tell you about language, Hatano?"

Everyone turned to the entrance to see Amari standing there smiling, with Emma in his arms and Frate at his feet. It was almost like when he'd returned a month ago, except this time he didn't have a bag of souvenirs. They all looked at him before exchanging looks with one another. Emma's origins were still a mystery and it was doubtful they'd learn it any time soon. But seeing the father-daughter pair, that was fine. Emma was part of Amari's norm now, so they'd try their best to integrate Emma to their norm as well.

"Yo, Amari!" Kaminaga got up from his seat. "Join us for a game?"

With that, everyone dispersed from their mock meeting and resumed their usual activities. Miyoshi, Hatano, and Jitsui got ready for the poker game while Sakuma, Tazaki, and Odagiri remained seated, changing the topic of their conversation. Frate ran over to Tazaki and before joining the game, Amari sat Emma in front of Fukumoto, who readily entertained her.

As they all easily fell back into a routine, they decided they could get used to this. They would get used to this.

* * *

That night, Amari tucked in Emma like he usually did. He sat next to her on her tiny bed, which was pushed up against the corner of his bedroom, and brought her comforter up to her chin. He fluffed her pillows and looked under the bed for monsters.

"Looks like you're all safe tonight! Do you need anything else?"

"Hm..." She thought about it through half-lidded eyes, sleep about to overtake her at any moment. She shook her head. "No. I'm good."

"Then good night, Emma. **_I love you_** **.** " He kissed her forehead.

"Good night, Papa. **_I love you too_** **.** "

He moved to get up but Emma held onto his wrist.

"Papa...?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Do you think Mama is okay?"

Mama. That is to say, Cynthia Grane -- her birth mother and the one who'd been raising her prior to him. He'd met her on accident. He had some time to himself and so visited the beach nearby. It was there where Frate ran into him, causing Emma to run over to him followed by Cynthia herself. She was a lovely woman, though she seemed troubled at the time (and with good reason, now that he knew the whole story). He kept her company, which lead to them sharing contacts and meeting up every day after that. Courting her wasn’t on his mind at the time; he simply enjoyed being with her and spending time with Emma, watching the dolphins and ships pass by in the ocean.

It was two days before he was set to leave when Cynthia was arrested, charged with the murder of Louis McCloud. She wanted revenge for her late husband, she'd told him, and she got it. She didn’t regret that though. What she _did_ regret was leaving Emma behind. Before she was taken in, she requested -- no, she pleaded with him to take care of Emma. She didn’t have any other relatives and she didn’t trust anyone else.

The rational side of him told him to turn her down. He’d been living as a bachelor beforehand with no plans of changing that so he couldn’t possibly raise a child, especially on such short notice. But after much internal conflict, the emotional side won out. Even if he’d only known her for a few days, Emma squeezed her way into his heart quickly.

Looking down at her now, he had no regrets. He understood why Cynthia did what she did and for whose sake she did it for. And in her place, he would give Emma the love and care she deserved.

"...I think Mama will be okay," he said, soft and low. "That's why you have to be a good girl, okay? So when you see your Mama again, she'll be proud of you."

"Yeah! I'll do my best for Mama."

Amari smiled, stroking Emma's hair as her eyelids fluttered closed. This was his life now, though he'd never imagined it to be this way. He decided he wouldn't change it for anything.

**Author's Note:**

> you can tell i wrote this just so i could write about kaminaga getting kicked out roflmao also!! I [doodled Hatano](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cr4XzPDVIAIuN82.jpg) because I believe everyone should see exactly pigtail bangs!Hatano as he studies wwwww
> 
> This was my first time writing just about everyone else haha so I hope it came out all right! I also don't use an iPhone nor do I use emojis a lot so I'm sorry if I misused any of them LOL This was pretty fun to write though hehe ^v^
> 
> aah I have some other more serious fics planned, but school's started up so I can't dedicate too much time on them ;o; but I hope to be able to post more once the semester ends (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و
> 
> ooh and just a question (that you don't need to answer! just for fun ouo): if JG had an English dub, who'd you want to voice the guys? :o I have some opinions myself, but I'm curious as to what others think hehe
> 
> aah anyways, feel free to scream at me on [tumblr](http://dollofdeath.tumblr.com/) or on [twitter](https://twitter.com/nighthawkstars) ovo thanks so much again for reading!! I hope you have a wonderful day/night~! ♪( ´▽｀)


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